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Praśamarati
APPENDIX V
Nature of a Real Thing - Saptabhangi
(Referred to in Verse No.204) Everything has two components 1) The basic material that it is and 2) The specific characteristics that it has. The material is stable (e. g. as the Gold in a gold bangle.) The specific chracteristcs are changing (e. g. the shine, the shape, the temperature etc. of the bangle.) Hence these various characteristics are constantly being created and destroyed. Just as soon as new characteristics are formed, the old ones vanish, while the basic material, does not change. Since the characteristics belong to the material, the creation and destruction is also said to be of the material,
Let us think of this through the example of an earthen pot. When it breaks there are only pieces. Thus the soil which was in the shape of a pot is destroyed, and the soil in the shape of pieces is bom. But the soil, as soil materal, is stable. Also while the pot is lying as it is, though it appears that it is not changing, many changes are taking place. From a subtle point of view - say time - a pot which was made two years ago is now two years old. The air in it is getting warmer/colder all the time. In all these changes the shape of the pot is not changing. When one says: “He is born”, “The pot is broken" and "the Atman is immortal”, these sentences depict either creation, or destruction, or stability only. Since all three characteristics are not depicted, one may think of these sentences as false. No ! this is not so. In all things all three characteristics are there, but in speech when one is trying to explain anything, only one characteristic may be emphasised, while the others are kept in abeyance. In “He is born" the characteristic of the body is emphasised, hence creation is
